Money for Your Junk: A Guide to Selling on Facebook

Most of us simply have too much stuff, especially those of us staging multiple short-term rental units.  This extra stuff gets in the way, costs you time and money, and causes stress.  Why save it and store it when we are never really going to use it and it could be putting money in our pocket now?

 

Even things that you really love and use regularly, looking at them, you’ll probably find that you have a lot more stuff than you really need.  Let's not become hoarders of furniture and other STR essentials, too!   The only things I allow myself to keep are consumables and spares.  That's where I draw the line in the sand.

 

It’s probably too late to take all of your extra possessions back to the store, but you can always sell them. While you might have sold items at a yard sale or on Craig’s List, you probably haven’t used Facebook to unload your junk. That’s unfortunate, considering how many people are on Facebook each day.

 

Use the following tips to leverage Facebook and sell your unwanted items:

 

1. Find the active local sales groups. Even fairly small areas will usually have a yard sale group or another similar group with a few thousand members or more!

 

• Everyone knows how committed both yard sale lovers and Facebook people can be.

 

• A lot of eyes will see your item within 24 hours.

 

• The more people that see your item, the more likely you are to get rid of it quickly.

 

2. Follow the rules. Different groups have different rules. For example, some require pictures. Follow the rules and use them to your best advantage.

 

• Some have rules about who has the first chance to purchase the item.

 

• There are usually rules about when an item can be bumped back to the top of the list.

 

3. Take good pictures. Get someone to help if you have trouble taking pictures. Be sure the pictures you post are in focus with good lighting.

 

• Let buyers see what they need to by choosing a good angle for your photo.

 

4. Post at just the right time. Be smart about when you post your items. The ideal time to post is when people are perusing the listings, but not a lot of things are getting posted.

 

• If you post your item when everyone else does, yours can get lost in the shuffle.

 

• Try to take note of when people are claiming items and when items are posted.

 

 

5. Write an accurate description and take care of your own needs. The group may have a policy that whoever claims the item has 48 hours to take the item away. But if you want it gone today, put that in the posting.

 

• It could be problematic if someone took 48 hours to show up and then decided against purchasing the item.

 

6. Be available. Those that are interested are bound to have questions. Keep your phone and computer handy and reply promptly to inquiries.

 

• People will move on to other items if they can’t get their questions answered in a timely fashion.  

 

7. Stay organized. This is especially important if you have several items for sale. It can be helpful to keep a post-it note on each item. You can list the buyer’s name, contact information, expected pick-up date, time of pick-up, and price.

    

8. What you can sell, donate.  Yes, your LLC can write off donations, too.  Better to get rid of it and get some credit for it than pay for storing it over almost any period of time.

 

 

Most people never consider selling items on Facebook, but it can be a quick, easy, and free way to get rid of the items cluttering your life. Everyone could use a little extra money, even your business, and more elbow room. So clean out the garage, attic, warehouse, and closets.  No more clutter!  Make room for profits.

 

Facebook is a hugely popular website with a very active user base. Your unnecessary items will be gone in a flash. Why not give it a try?

 

Go and grow! 

 

 

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